Ophthalmic mounting



Aug. 22, 1950 E. A. Rm 2,519,852

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING Filed March '21, 1946 Inventor ErnesZ'A.Riny

Patented Aug. 22, 1950 PATENT ()FFICE @PHTHALMEC MOUNTING Ernest-Arising, Erovidenee,RfI., assignor of onehalfto Francis M. Elakeney, Cranstom-RJI.

iXpplioatiOnMareh 21, 194 6,S'erial No. 655,993

3 Claims.

'Thisinvention relates to ophthalmic mountings and more particularly to a foldable eyegla'ss name L or 'detaoliahly mounting a pair of lenses to provide for their removal and 'replaoein-cases heldin thenooket. In some instances eyeglass frames have been made of spring metal to adapt the lenses to he placed 1 one in opposed relation to the other to-ooniine them to small 'ment due to breakage or'ior otherpurposes. eompa'ss, but such frames-are-subjeottotwisting One object of the invention is 'to provide a and liable to ni-isalinement or the lenses and iolda'oie frame for eyeglasses, goggles or nighttherefore are not used to any great e-xtent at glasses whichcan oontraoted'into small oomthe present time. The present invention conpass for carrying it in a case WhHEPOSSGSSiIlg' the templates an important improvement over such necessary rigidity when open'wherehy to properly in typesof eyeglasses orspectacles by 'providing a support'the lenses. frame which maybe held-substantiallyrigid with Another object-is to provide an eyeglass or speothe lenses aoeurately spaced and maintained in taole frame havingresilient niembers for receivproper relationship for use and yet eapable of ing the lenses hold them in "place by 'enbeing folded into s1nall=compass for carrying in gagement of th not-she'd edges with detent prodo a case. jeetions on the iraine. Referring to the aeoompanying drawing, the

Another oh eet to provide eyeglass or present improved. frame-may comprise twoopspectacle irame having pivotally'conneetedarms posits members or arms 2 and 3 connected at for mounting a r of lenses with said arms the-centerhy a hinged joint andextending-outadapted. to held extended relationship or wardly therefrom. arins-2 and-3 are S p folded together under the control of yielclable means.

Another ohject is to ipovi-i'e a light-Weight frame constructed of plas 1?. orsimilar material with oppositely-ertendin'g members pivoted together at sir i erends and held in either extended or io-ldeo. relationshiphy means or" a springarranged to be displaced on'opposite sides showing the interengagement between another projection and a seeond notch in the lens.

As usually ooi'istruct'ed, eyeglasses and spectacles have substantiallyrigid frames whielrrender to conform to the contour of the 5 and-are provided with grooves on their under sides for reoe 'ng the edges is hich diverge irorn the fiatfaoes i i and =52 nose-guards and center and have rela for eontaet with the sides-of the wearers nose.

of the pivot during vthe folding or unfolding of themembers'or arms. Abovethe nose-guard i-themeinber vrmayhave F her objectshf "the invention are set forth a pair of hubs or ses "l3 and i offset forin the following specification which describes a War ly 0 he p i rp ie' 3 m preferred form of construction of 'the'eyeglasses be provided with longer hub is oiT-set :foror speotaoles'as iliustratedby the accompanying 'Wardly-of itspost E3. The huos iii, H2- and i5 are drawings. In the drawing: arranged to interleaveand are bored axially to l is a front view of a pair of'eyeglas'ses receive a pivot-pin i5 headed over at'its opor spectacles constructed in aeeorolance with the posite-ends'to hold it inplaee for hingedly conpresent'invention; nesting the two arms rand ii'ofthe frame. As .2 is a'plan view 0 the same; shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and, 3, the Fig. 3 is a plan vie\ showingthe parts of the arms 2 and is are provided with relatively fiat frame and the lenses iii-closely fol ed rela'tionfaces ii adapted to engagein abutting relationship; ship when the two arms are extended in sub- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View showing oneof the st'antial-alinem 1 0,536 2. frame-nembers or arms partly in section with 'Asubstantiaily horseshoe-shaped wirespring the lens removedthereiroin to illustrate the ati3 is loea-ted in a narrow slot-l9 out into the abuttaehing means therefor; ting ends of the 2 and 3 with the ends of Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line ii"5 of "Fi 1 i he wire fastened to a pair of pins 253 inserted showing the manner in which a projection on the thr'oughholes at-the top of the arms and passing irarne'engages with no'toh'in'the lens; and across the slot. As shownniore'particularly in Fig. Fig. sis a seetional'view of line fi fi of Fig. 1 t e E Ofthe p g '8 may be bent to form loops engaging around the pins iii-or the spring may be fastened thereto in any other suitable manner. When the arms 2 and-30f the frame are extended the 'spring 18 will project rearthem quite bulky'and'ratherinconvenient to c'arry wai dly of the ipivot-epin fit, see dotted lines in 3 Fig. 2, and exert a force to hold the arms in this relationship. When, however, the arms 2 and 3 are swung forwardly and closed together into the relationship shown in Fig. 3 the spring ill will be caused to encircle the pivot-pin it to exert its force in the opposite direction to resiliently maintain the parts of the frame folded. Stated another way, the spring is is adapted to be displaced across the axis of the pivot-pin 16 or,

in other Words, shifted across center, so that its tension will act to yieldably hold the arms 2 and 3 of the frame in either extended relationship as shown in Fig. 2, or folded together as illustrated in Fig. 3. By this form of construction and arrangement of the spring 58 the two arms 2 and 3 of the frame are held substantially rigid when extended and also yieldingly maintained in close relationship when folded.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, each arm 2 and 3 of the frame is substantially straight from its inner end outwardly throughout a portion of its length and then curved downwardly in arcuate form with the narrow slot or groove 6 extending its full length and also down through the depending vertical post 2' or 8. As shown in Fig. 5, the groove 6 is of a width to adapt the appropriate lens 4 to fit snugly thereinto, the contour of its edge at the top of the lens being the same as that of the arm. At the inner end of each arm there is a pointed lug or projection 22 where the arm joins its post I or 8, directed downwardly into the groove 6, and at the outer end of each arm is another sharper projection or lug 23 also located in the groove 6.

Referring to Fig. 4, the lens 4 has a notch 24 cut into its edge interrupting the straight portions at the juncture thereof with its upper edge, this notch being shaped to the same contour as the projection 22 and dimensioned to adapt the lug to fit snugly thereinto. On the outer curved edge of the lens 4 is a notch 25 shaped to the contour of the projection 23 on the arm 2 but slightly larger than the latter and below this point the edge of the lens is cut away at 26 to form a laterally extending shoulder 21. By the provision of the projections Or lugs 22 and 23 and the notches 24 and 25 the lens 4 may be inserted into the groove 6 in the arm 2 with the lug 22 fitting snugly into the notch 24, and then by pressing the outer portion of the lens snugly into the groove the pointed projection 23 will snap into the notch 25, the arm 2 yielding resiliently to permit this engagement between the lugs and the notches in the lens. During this engagement of the edge of the lens in the slot or groove 6 in the arm 2 the lateral side 30 of the lug 23 will engage securely with the corresponding edge of the notch 25, a slight clearance being left between the lower face of the lug and the opposite edge of the notch, as shown most clearly by dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the lens is forced into place in the groove 6 of the arm 2 and the lugs 22 and 23 engaged with its notches 24 and 25 the shoulder 2'! on the lens will bring up against the end of the arm to provide for securely gripping the lens to the arm and tending to force the lens into the groove 6 in the post I of the arm. It has been stated that the present improved frame is adapted to be used for either eyeglasses or spectacles and in the latter case the ends of the arms 2 and 3 may be provided with rearwardly projecting hingelugs 33 adapted for connection with the slotted hub-portions or bosses 34 at the ends of a pair of temples or bows 35, indicated in Figs. 2 and with pins 36 pivotally connecting the temples to the frame. The temples may be of a type contractible in extent to conform with the reduced length of the frame when its parts are folded together.

It will be observed from the foregoing specification that the present invention provides an extremely simple yet practical form of ophthalmic mounting having oppositely-extending members or arms 2 and 3 pivoted together at the center to adapt them to be held in extended relationship or folded together to contract the glasses into a minimum space; and also comprising means for detachably mounting the lenses in the frame so that they may be removed for replacement; for example, should one or both lenses become broken, or in other cases where it is desired to change the prescription of the lenses. The invention is herein shown more particularly as of a form designed particularly for use in goggles or night-glasses and the feature of the detachable lenses provided for changing smoked or colored lenses to those more particularly adapted for night use.

In the normal arrangement of the frame, for use with eyeglasses, spectacles or goggles, the hinged members or arms carrying the lenses are held rigidly in extended relationship, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of the over-center position of the spring [8 which acts to maintain the arms with their flat ends in closely abutting engagement. On the other hand, when the two arms 2 and 3 are folded toward each other into the position shown in Fig. 3 the spring I8 will be displaced across the center of the pivot whereby it will maintain the two arms 2 and 3 folded into overlapping relationship.

While the invention is herein shown and described as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of its parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. In an ophthalmic mounting, a pair of corresponding frame-members having portions adapted to overlie the edges of a pair of lenses with means for attaching the lenses thereto, said members provided with inter-leaved bearing bosses, a pin in said bosses for pivotally connecting the ends of said members, and a spring of substantially horseshoe shape having its opposite ends respectively connected to the two members and arranged to be shifted across the axis of the pivot-pin in one direction when the members are placed in extended relationship and in the opposite direction when said members are folded together into overlying relationship.

2. In a ophthalmic mounting, a pair of opposite frame-members having means for supporting a pair of lenses, cooperating bearing portions on said frame-members, a pivot-pin connecting said bearin portions of the frame-members to adapt said members to fold toward each other, said bearing portions having abutments adapted to engage when the frame-members are extended with the lenses in substantial alinement, and a spring of substantially horseshoeshape having its opposite ends respectively connected to the two frame-members and arranged to be shifted across the axis of the pivot-pin in one dirtction when the frame-members are placed in extended relationship and in the opposite direction when said frame-members are 5 folded together in overlying relationship, said Spring thereby acting to yieldingly hold the frame-members in either extended or folded relationship.

3. In an ophthalmic mounting, a pair of framemembers having means for supporting a pair of lenses, said frame-members formed with hearing hubs at their ends with abutment portions havin faces projecting substantially radially from the axis of said hubs, a pivot-pin extending through bores in the bearing hubs to hingedly connect the two frame-members and adapt them to be extended in substantial alinement with the faces of their abutment portions in engagement, and a spring of substantially horseshoe-shape held in slots in the abutment portions of the frame-members with its opposite ends respectively connected to the two framemembers and arranged to be shifted across the axis of the pivot-pin in one direction when the frame-members are placed in extended relationship and in the opposite direction when said frame-members are folded together with the lenses in overlying relationship.

ERNEST A. RING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 140,912 Graecen July 15, 1873 1,113,194 Carson Oct. 13, 1914 1,278,418 Bader Sept. 10, 1918 1,789,937 Curran Jan. 20, 1931 2,254,746 Line Sept.-2, 1941 2,327,802 Kelley Aug. 24, 1943 2,385,975 Ellestad Oct. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 12,089 Great Britain June 9, 1905 

